


Testimony

by kjack89



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Courtroom Drama, Developing Relationship, Fake Marriage, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Lawyers, M/M, Trials
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2020-05-19 01:05:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19346413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kjack89/pseuds/kjack89
Summary: Judge Madeleine entered the chamber to begin the second day of the trial against Enjolras and took a seat. “You may be seated,” he said, glancing over the notes in front of him. “Is the prosecution ready to begin?”District Attorney Javert stood, looking even more dour than usual, and it took every ounce of self-control that Enjolras possessed not to glare at the man who, during opening arguments the previous day, had referred to Enjolras as a homegrown terrorist who would settle for nothing less than the total destruction of all government institutions.Which was hyperbolic even for Enjolras’s standards. At best he wanted to destroy a solid half of governmental institutions.Maybe two thirds.Public libraries could stay. The rest was on thin fucking ice.





	Testimony

**Author's Note:**

> Because who doesn't love the fake married trope?
> 
> Also this has the potential for being the start of something longer, a series of some variety, so if you're interested in seeing this continued, let me know!
> 
> Otherwise, usual disclaimer. Please be kind and tip your fanfic writers in the form of comments and/or kudos!

“Case number 246-01,” the bailiff read in a bored voice. “The State v. Enjolras. Judge Madeleine presiding. All rise.” **  
**

Enjolras stood, smoothing the invisible wrinkles from the immaculate suit he wore for the occasion, one of the ones his mother insisted on buying for him before she gave up on speaking to her son altogether. Luckily, his measurements hadn’t changed much in the years since and the suit still fit well.

Very well, if the looks a few of the women on the jury had tossed his way when he walked in were anything to go off of.

Judge Madeleine entered the chamber to begin the second day of the trial against Enjolras and took a seat. “You may be seated,” he said, glancing over the notes in front of him. “Is the prosecution ready to begin?”

District Attorney Javert stood, looking even more dour than usual, and it took every ounce of self-control that Enjolras possessed not to glare at the man who, during opening arguments the previous day, had referred to Enjolras as a homegrown terrorist who would settle for nothing less than the total destruction of all government institutions.

Which was hyperbolic even for Enjolras’s standards. At best he wanted to destroy a solid half of governmental institutions.

Maybe two thirds.

Public libraries could stay. The rest was on thin fucking ice.

Javert cleared his throat and Enjolras blinked. “The State is ready to call our first witness,” Javert said, and Madeleine nodded.

“You may proceed.”

For the first time, Javert glanced at Enjolras, something like triumph in his expression as he announced, “The State calls Sebastien Grantaire to the stand.”

Enjolras gritted his teeth as Grantaire swaggered into the courtroom, trying not to look like he was seething. He had known it was coming, but still — seeing Grantaire take the stand, seeing him raise his right hand to swear to tell the truth against Enjolras—

“Objection.”

Marius Pontmercy stood up, looking almost unconcerned as murmurs broke out in the courtroom. Madeleine blinked, looking almost amused. “You have an objection before Mr. Javert has even asked a single question of the witness?”

“I do,” Marius said.

“On what grounds?” Javert spluttered, looking indignant.

“Spousal privilege,” Marius said. “Mr. Grantaire cannot be compelled to testify against his husband.”

No sooner were the words were out of Marius’s mouth than all hell seemingly broke out in the courtroom. Javert was shouting something, looking positively apoplectic, and as the bailiff hurried to restrain him, Grantaire turned and winked at Enjolras.

 

\--- _Four Weeks Earlier_ \---

 

Marius looked unusually grave as he stood in doorway of the backroom at the Musain. “I have bad news,” he announced, and the general babble died down as everyone looked over at him. “There’s a warrant out for Enjolras’s arrest.”

Bahorel snorted. “Not the first time,” he said dismissively.

“Not likely to be the last time, either,” Joly added with a grin.

But Enjolras could tell by the look on Marius’s face that this was more serious than his usual brushes with the law. “On what charges?”

“Terrorism,” Marius said grimly, and the room fell silent, “in addition to making a terroristic threat and providing support for an act of terrorism.” He paused. “And a host of other things, too, criminal conspiracy, inciting a riot, assaulting an officer of the peace, and, uh—” He checked his notes. “Seventy-five unpaid parking tickets, apparently.”

Courfeyrac winced. “Oh, man, most of those are mine,” he started, but Enjolras gave him a look.

“I very highly doubt the parking tickets are the state’s highest concern,” he said dryly, before looking back at Marius. “They don’t have enough evidence to make the most serious charges stick, so—”

“Actually, they do,” a tired voice said from behind Marius, and Combeferre steered an exhausted-looking and evenly more dishevelled than usual Grantaire into the room. “I just picked Grantaire up from a Grand Jury proceeding.”

“I’m sorry,” Grantaire said, his eyes never leaving Enjolras’s. “They had a subpoena, and Combeferre told me that if I lied on the stand, he’d have Bahorel kick my ass.”

Enjolras shook his head slowly. “If you had lied, I wouldn’t need Bahorel to kick your ass,” he told him, a low growl in is voice. “I’m not worth that.” Grantaire snorted but didn’t contradict him and Enjolras looked back at Marius. “So that’s it,” he said tiredly. “Any one of us being compelled to testify would spell the end of Les Amis, and we all knew that going into this.” He straightened, squaring his shoulders. “When do I turn myself in?”

But Marius was looking between Grantaire and Enjolras, something calculating in his expression. “You have 72 hours,” he said slowly. “But there’s a lot that we can do in 72 hours.”

For the first time since arriving, Grantaire looked away from Enjolras, turning to arch an eyebrow at Marius. “What do you have in mind?”

 

* * *

 

“This is outrageous!” Javert burst as they were ushered into the judge’s chambers and Judge Madeleine sighed, settling himself down at his desk. “Spousal privilege — assuming these two are even legally married — only covers privileged communication after the marriage, and Mr. Grantaire and Mr. Enjolras sure as hell were not married when the incident—”

“Alleged incident,” Marius interjected smoothly.

“When the incident in question,” Javert ground out, throwing Marius a nasty look, “took place.”

Madeleine steepled his fingers and gave Marius and Enjolras both a measured look. “Is this true?” he asked.

Marius shook his head. “No,” he said. “My client was married to Mr. Grantaire at the time of the incident. In fact, they’ve been married for six years.”

“Seven,” Enjolras interjected, before hastily adding, “Sorry, Your Honor, but I wouldn’t hear the end of it if I got the anniversary wrong.”

Madeleine chuckled and Marius smiled slightly. “Sorry, yes, seven years,” he said. “I have their marriage certificate right here, signed, dated and notarized by a licensed justice of the peace.”

“But not filed with the state!” Javert snapped, as Marius handed the marriage license over to Valjean, who looked at it with interest. “Or else it would have come out during discovery, and therefore the validity—”

“My client was married in 2012,” Marius said, “before _United States v. Windsor_ or _Obergefell v. Hodges_. With whom would you have liked them to file their marriage certificate, when their marriage was not, at the time, legally recognized?” Javert scowled but didn’t reply and Marius continued, “Things have changed so rapidly since then that Mr. Grantaire and my client simply forgot to file the documentation until recently.”

Javert let out what sounded suspiciously like a snarl. “Then why didn’t Mr. Grantaire bring this up during his Grand Jury testimony?”

“That was my fault,” Enjolras said, apologetically, and everyone turned to look at him. “We’ve been — well, we were fighting at the time, for lack of a better term. And so he took it out on me by testifying at the Grand Jury. But he didn’t realize— he never thought this would happen.” Enjolras lifted his chin, something defiant in his expression. “We love each other. And he would never testify against me.”

Javert glared at Enjolras before switching his glare to Madeleine. “You can’t seriously be buying this!” he protested.

“I have no reason not to,” Madeleine said lightly, passing the marriage certificate back to Marius, who looked like he was trying very hard not to grin. “The state is welcome to continue its case against Mr. Enjolras, but you’ll be doing it without Mr. Grantaire’s testimony.”

Javert looked positively furious, and Enjolras let out a breath it felt like he’d been holding for weeks.

* * *

 

A few hours later, Enjolras walked down the stairs in front of the courthouse, grinning at Marius and Grantaire waiting for him. “Wish I had been there to see Javert’s face when he dropped all charges,” Grantaire said a little mournfully as Enjolras reached them.

“It was a beautiful sight,” Enjolras assured him. “Where’s everyone else?”

Marius rolled his eyes. “You’re supposed to be keeping a low profile, remember?” he said, with somewhat fond exasperation. “Now you two get out of here. I’m going to swing back by Madeleine’s office and thank him—”

“He wants to go make eyes at Madeleine’s secretary,” Grantaire told Enjolras. “That’s all he’s been able to talk about while we were waiting for you. While you were busy almost going to jail, he was busy ooh-ing and aah-ing over some poor girl.”

“I was not!” Marius protested, beet red, and Enjolras just shook his head.

“Go,” he ordered. “I need a word with my husband anyway.”

They both watched Marius head back up to the courthouse before Grantaire turned to Enjolras, his smile softening. “Husband,” he said mildly. “I’m still not used to hearing that.”

“And I’m still not ok with this.”

Grantaire cocked his head slightly. “Being married to me? I don’t blame you.”

“No, lying,” Enjolras said, glaring at him. “I told you—”

Grantaire rolled his eyes. “That you’re not worth it, yeah, I remember.” He gave Enjolras a pointed look. “Thing is, I didn’t lie. I said not one word of falsehood in that courtroom, on the record, or anywhere else.”

Enjolras ground his teeth together. “A lie of omission is still a lie.”

The corners of Grantaire’s mouth twitched. “Barely.”

Enjolras rolled his eyes. “Still—”

“You are worth it,” Grantaire interrupted, something soft in his expression. “Forging a marriage license, lying under oath — you are more than worth it.” He paused. “You’re the only one that’s worth it. To me, at least.”

Enjolras opened his mouth to respond but couldn’t quite seem to find any words to say, so he settled for ducking his head and swallowing, hard. After a moment, he cleared his throat. “So, uh, how long do you think we need to stay married?”

“That depends,” Grantaire said lightly. “When does the statute of limitations run out?”

“Not sure that there is a statute of limitations for terrorism.”

Grantaire shrugged. “Ah well,” he said cheerfully. “Thankfully I didn’t have any better offers.”

Enjolras rolled his eyes again, but it was with an almost begrudging smile. “You sure you can handle being married to me for that long?”

“For the rest of my life?” Grantaire asked, with a breathy laugh. “I somehow think I’ll manage.” He arched an eyebrow at Enjolras. “The question is, can you?”

Enjolras met his eyes squarely. “Have you ever known me to back down from a challenge?” he asked.

Grantaire’s grin widened and he slowly shook his head. “C’mon,” he said. “Let’s go tell everyone the good news.” He turned away then paused, glancing back at Enjolras before holding out his hand, a small smirk crossing his face. “Do you permit it?”

Instead of answering, Enjolras took Grantaire’s hand and laced their fingers together, giving Grantaire a smile that was entirely too soft to be the ‘challenge accepted’ grin he intended. “Let’s go.”


End file.
